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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · patient · saw · hide · stick · stem · racket · bore

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bore — to tire
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. court — of a king
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. saw — the tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bore — gave birth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com